JOIN USTwo drivers of a south Delhi-based businessman have been arrested for faking a robbery of Rs 19 lakh, which was given to one of them to deliver to an associate.
The accused had claimed to be robbed and even sprayed chilli powder into his eyes.
Within 24 hours of the allegedly concocted story, Kare Rai and Jogender Chaudhary, both natives of Madhubani in Bihar, were arrested for faking the robbery.
The money they claimed was robbed too has been recovered, police said. Both Rai, 50, and Chaudhary, 45, had been working as drivers for a businessman Rupesh Deora.
On Friday night, Rai was handed over a bang containing the cash by Deora and told to hand it over to his friend at Maharani Bagh in New Friends Colony.
Rai left with the bag in Deora’s Honda City car. At 11.40 pm on Friday, police learnt that a car driver was robbed after unidentified persons sprayed chilli powder in his eyes.
By the time police reached the spot, the alleged victim had been shifted to AIIMS trauma centre.
Police found chilli powder inside as well as near the car and registered a case based on Rai’s statement in hospital.
Concocted story
“Rai claimed that two men on a motorcycle had suddenly overtaken the car and when he stopped his car to demand an explanation from them, they threw chilli powder in his eyes. One of them even smashed his head to the car’s window. He claimed he could not note the motorcycle’s registration number as he was temporarily blinded by the chilli,” said a senior police officer.
Rai claimed a by-stander helped him with water and made a call to police.
“But he could not reveal the entire incident clearly and there were some missing links in his statement about the incident. On being suspicious, he was interrogated thoroughly and finally he broke down and disclosed that the entire incident was staged with the complicity of his friend Jogender Chaudhary,” said the officer.
Both were subsequently arrested and the entire amount of Rs 19 lakh recovered from them.